Objective Vegetable-Agroforestry (VAF) System: Understanding vegetable-tree interaction is a key to successful vegetable farming enterprise Agustin R. Mercado, Jr. World Agroforestry Centre Claveria Research Site, MOSCAT Campus Claveria, Misamis Oriental, 9004 Philippines [email protected] Results Materials and Methods • Existing vegetable agroforestry systems (VAF) were assessed at Lantapan, Bukidnon, Philippines (124°47’ to 125°08’E; 7°57’ to 8°08’) N covering 21 farms: two agroforestry systems, six tree species, eight vegetables and four aspects. Data collected were tree parameters, spatial performance of vegetables, and spatial light transmission. Focus group discussion (FGD) was also conducted with VAF farmers on ways of integrating trees on vegetable farms. • Field experiments were established to evaluate 30 different indigenous and commercial tree, fruit, leafy, root and climbing vegetables perpendicular to a six-year old Eucalyptus torillana tree hedge spaced at 2.5 meter between trees. Crop growth and yield data were collected spatially relative to tree distance in order to determine productivity, adaptability, competition, and complementarity. • Net complementarity was used as a tool for assessing appropriate tree-vegetable integration Agustin R. Mercado, Jr.* 1 , Caroline Duque-Piñon 1 , Manuel Reyes 2 Manuel Palada 3 Flordeliz Faustino 3 and Liwayway Engle 3 1 World Agroforestry Centre. Claveria, Philippines 2 North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University. North Carolina, USA 3 Asian Vegetable Research Centre. Taiwan. Taiwan Introduction Soil erosion is a major constraint to sustaining vegetable production on sloping lands in Southeast Asia. In tree- depleted landscapes with poor soils and risks prone environments, monoculture vegetable farming systems are not sustainable, but integrating trees, as contour hedges to control soil erosion, increase income of farmers, and improve farm environmental services particularly on carbon sequestration, offer better prospects and a viable option for smallholders. Potent problem Potential solutions To integrate trees on intensive vegetable farming systems with minimal negative interaction, thus increasing productivity, profitability, nutrient use efficiency and environmental services. Conclusion We found out that the optimum tree hedges spacing was between 25-30 meters apart and 3 meters between trees giving 111 – 133 trees per hectare. Suitable tree species were Eucalyptus robusta, Eucalyptus torillana and Acacia mangium; commercial vegetables were cabbages, cauliflower, carrots and bell pepper; leafy vegetables were Amaranthus (TOT 2272), Jute (TOT 6667), and Basella (TOT 5274); climbing vegetable was yard long bean (TVO 2141), eggplant (S00-168) for fruit vegetables; and Katuray, Alikway and Malunggay for indigenous tree vegetables. There was a positive relationship between NCI and tree height and amount of canopy left after tree pruning, but had a negative relationship on canopy width. Vegetables grown on east or south side yielded better than those planted either west or north side of the tree line. Acknowledgement and Contact This study was funded and supported by the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management – Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM-CRSP) and by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Moringa oliefera, locally known as Malunggay, performs well under acid soil at SANREM site in Lantapan which surprises local farmers (A). Carrots is adapted to tree based system (B) Experimental plot of different commercial, indigenous and tree vegetables planted perpendicular to the Eucalytus deglupta hedge (A). Spatial performance of vegetables relative to tree distance (B) Farmers and researcher discuss about the performance of different vegetables and their spatial response relative to the tree distance during the SANREM CRSP Farmers Field Day. Net complementarity as a simple tool in assessing appropriate tree-vegetable integration 1.Adaptability index (AI) = Yield at competition zone (Y 1 ) -------------------------------- Yield at neutral zone (Y0) where 0 = adapted 2. Complementarity response index (CRI) = Yield at complementarity (Y 2 ) ---------------------------------- Yield at neutral zone (Y 0 ) where 0 = no response 3. Net complementarity index (NCI) = Y 2 -Y 1 where 0 = VAF has not improved productivity White bean yield under Maesopsis eminii hedge trees 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 Distance from the tree Beans (g/plt) Competition zone Complementarity zone Nuetral zone Three zones of vegetable – tree interaction in A B AVRDC North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Influence of tree species on net complementarity Tree species Net complementarity Acacia mangium Eucalyptus robusta Eucalyptus torillana Gmelina arborea Maesopsis emini -0.23 0.48 -0.30 -0.85 -1.67 Influence of vegetable crops on net complementarity Vegetables Net complementarity Bell pepper Brocolli Cabbage Cauliflower Chinese cabbage Tomato White beans Maize 0.14 -7.54 0.98 0.44 0.57 -0.48 -1.67 -1.55 Relationship between tree height (m) and net complementarity y = 0.3034x + 12.696 R 2 = 0.14 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 (10.00) (5.00) - 5.00 10.00 Net complementarity Relationship between tree canopy width and net complementarity y = -14.254x + 560.37 R 2 = 0.08 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 (10.00) (5.00) - 5.00 10.00 Net complementarity Relationship between tree species, vegetable crops, tree height and canopy width on VAF net complementarity under farmers ’ management Performance indices of different vegetables based on yield under tree based system under researcher-managed experiment Type Species Scientific name Variety Leafy Amaranthus Amaranthus caudatus TOT 1800 Indonesia 0.70 ab 1.40 ab 0.70 bc Amaranthus Amaranthus caudatus TOT 2272 Taiwan 0.80 a 2.10 ab 1.30 abc Amaranthus Amaranthus caudatus TOT 4141 Vietnam 0.57 b 1.50 ab 0.90 bc Amaranthus Amaranthus caudatus TOT 5474 Taiwan 0.67 ab 1.60 ab 0.93 bc Amaranthus Amaranthus caudatus TOT 7278 Bangladesh 0.63 b 1.43 ab 0.77 bc Jute Corchorus olitorius TOT 3504 0.40 cd 2.03 ab 1.63 abc Jute Corchorus olitorius TOT 4413 0.40 cd 1.47 ab 1.03 abc Jute Corchorus olitorius TOT 4721 0.53 bc 2.00 ab 1.50 abc Jute Corchorus olitorius TOT 6667 0.33 cd 2.70 a 2.40 a Cabbage Brassica oleracea Resest crown 0.73 ab 1.33 ab 0.60 bc Chinese cabbage Brassica rapa Blues 0.63 b 1.60 ab 0.97 bc Fruit Eggplant Solanum melongena S00- 168 0.53 bc 1.80 ab 1.27 abc Eggplant Solanum melongena S00- 632 0.60 b 1.30 ab 0.73 bc Eggplant Solanum melongena S00- 633 0.67 ab 1.50 ab 0.87 bc Bellpepper Capsicum annuum 9950-5197 0.80 a 1.57 ab 0.50 c Okra Abelmoschos esculentus 0.60 b 1.57 ab 0.97 bc Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum WVCT-1 0.73 ab 1.33 ab 0.67 bc Climbing Alugbati Basella alba TOT 5274 0.73 ab 1.87 ab 0.60 bc Alugbati Basella alba TOT 3578 0.73 ab 1.20 b 0.50 c Alugbati Basella alba TOT 1578 0.70 ab 1.30 ab 1.13 abc Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata TVO 2074 Philippines 0.40 cd 1.70 ab 1.33 abc Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata TVO 2141 Philippines 0.33 cd 2.27 ab 1.97 ab Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata TVO 3313 Philippines 0.30 cd 1.97 ab 1.67 abc Tree Malunggay Moringa oleifera local 0.57 b 1.43 ab 0.83 c Chinese malunggay Sauropus androgynous local 0.80 a 1.17 ab 0.40 c Alikway Abelmoschos manihot local 0.57 b 1.63 ab 1.03 abc Katuray Sesbania grandiflora local 0.23 d 3.37 a 3.10 a Root Carrots Daucus carota local 0.80 a 1.57 ab 0.77 bc Means having a common letters are not significantly different by Tukey's test at 5% level CRI NCI AI